Forever Alone
by PiperElizabethMcLean
Summary: Nico just isn't having luck with his loved ones, is he? First he loses his Huntress sister, and now his lover... Came from my fic It's Complicated- check. it. out! Nico/OC Based off the part of the myths where Artemis turns maidens who defy her into animals... Rated T, Nico-ness ;D One chapter from a short story, so basically a one-shot


It's complicated

**(Came from my fic It's Complicated- check it out!)**

Nico/OC

I took a shaky breath before approaching her from the shadows.

"What do you want?" She snarled, turning swiftly at the sound of my footsteps. Her arrow was already on me, the tip at my chest.

"Shoot me," I told her. "I know you won't do it." I teased, but I was still hesitant to grab the arrow.

"What are you doing here?" Tabitha asked, lowering her bow in defeat. Her dark hair curled from her ponytail, her bangs seeping over one eyebrow and the moonlight shining through her one, tiny silver streak right below her left ear. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked around, because she was supposed to be on watch tonight.

"I'm here to see you, Tabitha." I said as if someone would say _its dark out right now; duh._

"But Lady Artemis would have my tail-,"

"I don't care," I whispered, cutting her off and pulling her waist closer to me. She stiffened as my lips connected with her neck, then pulling away to see her reaction.

"Nico…" She trailed off.

"Tabitha, it's been two years since we've met. Artemis hasn't found out since." I reassured her. But I knew Artemis wasn't stupid. She _had _to know. Or she was a pile of bricks if she didn't.

"But I'm still _so much _older than you…" She said uncertainly. She was only eighteen when she joined; several years ago. The year was around the sixties when she joined; about the time I would be eighteen, too. I hadn't heard from my friends or the camp in a long, long time. I'm eighteen, and they were around the ages of twenty rights now. They had their own lives to live, anyway. **(A/N: I don't know the real year Nico was put into the Lotus casino. If you know, please leave it in a review so I can put the right date up, please!)**

"I told you, Tabitha," I said, shaking my head, amused. "I'm old enough to be your great-great grandfather's classmate in a school he went to."

"I know, but-,"

"Tabitha, trust me," I coaxed. She relaxed and connected her lips with mine. We kissed for a bit longer, her kisses turning to light, smooth dips.

"Have you told Artemis yet?" I asked, plead entering my tone. She was supposed to quit the Hunters, and ask Artemis for her forgiveness so she wouldn't be turned into a deer or something like that.

"I, uh-,"

"Tabitha!" I scolded. The tiny flecks of golden freckles under her eyes could be seen easily in the moonlight. I can't tell you how many times I had counted them; ten, twenty, fifty? Her ancestors were from the Cherokee tribe, and so she had inherited the looks from them. Her dark hair and chocolate eyes were just so gorgeous…

"I'm sorry. I really am, Nico." She said, searching my eyes for forgiveness. I was so glad she had picked up the recent English from the other Hunters, unlike Zoe.

"Will you tell her tonight?" I asked, dropping the matter. "I want to be with you. I don't want to hide it-,"

"I will; tonight," She said, nodding her head firmly. "I promise."

"Swear on the Styx," I told her. She was a daughter of Asclepius, the god of medicine and healing. He was originally a mortal man who was destroyed by Zeus for the crime of restoring the dead to life. Afterwards he was welcomed into Olympus as a god.

"I swear," She promised, meeting my eye and kissing me softly before she turned quickly to the sound of footsteps.

"Someone's coming!" She panicked. I backed away into the shadows, watching silently as a girl, Phoebe I think, approached her.

"Lady Artemis would like to see you," She said sternly, her voice dripping with hatred. She shook her head in disgust at Tabitha as she walked to the tents.

"I know you're out there," Phoebe called into the shadows. I didn't move, I just sat there and watched. "Come out already!" She called in frustration. She sent an arrow into the darkness, and it landed a couple of feet away from me.

"She's just going to get in trouble, you know." Phoebe said matter-of-factly. Did she know about us? Did Phoebe know that Tabitha and I were secretly in love?

Suddenly I saw an animal run out from the tent. A scared-looking white tailed deer darted out into the woods. She stopped and let out a bleat in front of me. I could see into her eyes; I had never been this close to a deer before.

Why had it run from her tent?

I heard the Hunters running after the deer, and I put two and two together.

"Run, Tabitha!" I screamed, shooing her off. She ran, leaping over branches as she went. How could Artemis have changed her and sent her huntresses after Tabitha?

"Nico, is that you?" I heard Thalia's voice. I turned to see her, the silver circlet in her hair shining brightly.

"Don't let Tabitha get hurt," I begged. She stared at me, her mouth forming an O.

"You're the guy she asked for freedom for?" Thalia confirmed, shaking her head slowly.

"Yeah," I said, watching as Artemis herself shot out into the night.

"I can't guarantee her safety, but I won't be the one to shoot her." Thalia said before charging after the rest of the Hunters.

"Oh, Tabitha," I whispered, shadow-traveling to where I thought she'd be.

~oOo~

"Tabitha!" I called to the fleeing deer. She stopped running and walked to me. "She changed you."

The deer didn't respond, she just kept staring at me.

"They're after you. They won't ever rest until you're brought down."

No answer.

Of course, I didn't expect anything. She's a deer.

"I'm so, so, so sorry," I whispered. She leaned her head down, touching her nose to my hand. I kissed the top of her head.

"I hope you forgive me." I whispered again. "And... Y-you'll remember me?"

She licked my hand and blinked slowly.

Then, the most awful thing happened.

I never noticed the arrow until it was plowed through her stomach. She dropped instantly, and I barely had enough time to catch her.

I stroked her as she fell into drowsiness.

"Tabitha," I cried, the tears spilling on her silky brown fur that eerily matched her hair color. Phoebe stepped out of the trees, her bow in hand.

"Son of Hades," She spat.

"Phoebe," I snapped. "How could you?"

"She broke the oath," Phoebe shrugged. "She deserved it."

"She's dying!" I said as a cluster of Hunters entered the clearing.

"No, really," She asked sarcastically. I hated her more than I could even understand myself right now. I'd make sure she'd burn in the pits or Tartarus, for sure.

I couldn't speak. This is just another loved one I've lost over the years. She was special to me, and now she's dying in my own hands.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered to her, placing a kiss on her furry head, right between the eyes.

And suddenly, her form melted back into a girl. She gripped my hand with her own, shivering slightly.

"Nico…" She whispered.

"I'm here," I choked out.

"Stay with me" She said, her eyes slowly losing the shine they used to have.

"I'm not going anywhere." I said, squeezing her hand.

"I love you," She said, tears falling.

"I love you, too." I told her as the last of the light left her eyes. I cried as I released her grip, stepping away from her body as it swiveled into silver dust; the sign of a huntress dying.

I turned to the shadows, aware of the stares from the Hunters. I shadow-traveled to my cabin in camp and collapsed on my bed just as the real tears started to fall.

**Came from my fic It's Complicated. Check it out! :)**

**PiperElizabethMcLean**

**R&R?**


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